Thursday, June 27, 2013

Mmmm.... Tostadas. I can't imagine how someone couldn't enjoy a good Tostada. Traditionally, tostadas are made with a fried tortilla topped with refried beans, cheese, and sour cream - all of which I try to stay away from.

I happend to have a can of unsalted black beans, frozen Engine 2 tortillas, lettuce, tomato, and some vegan mozzarella cheese at hand - so I thought I'd try to make some healthy Tostadas at home. They came out super yummy, and wicked quick to put together. I figure the next time I decide to make these, I'll get more ingredients like cilantro, jalapenos and avocado - but you can really dress these babies up the way you please.

Vegan Tostadas

by Sarah Farsh June 27, 2013

brown rice tortilla

blended black beans, or refried black beans

chopped lettuce

pickled jalapeno

tomato

sprinkle of vegan mozzarella cheese (optional)

Spread black bean mash onto tortilla and top with optional cheese. Bake in oven until warm. Top with lettuce, jalapeno, tomato and any other veggies of choice...

Monday, June 17, 2013

I love portobello mushroom caps, they are so satisfying and meaty in consistency. Making portobello mushroom steaks is so easy! I like to plate the steaks on a bed of quinoa, and serve with yummy veggies. For this dish, I served my steaks with eggplant, asparagus and potatoes.

Portobello Mushroom Steaks

2 portobello mushroom caps

1/2 sweet onion, diced

splash veggie stock

1 tbsp soy sauce

splash red wine

Dry saute onions and add veggie stock as needed. Place mushroom caps in pan, and add soy sauce and red wine. Cook on low/medium heat for about 10 minutes each side.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

It was made by my dear friend, Julia. Here's what Her's looked like...

Yes, this meal includes some ingredients I don't normally eat... But I'm sure you could see why there was no question for me to indulge? Hey, there's still plenty of veggies and greens included, and I was in Paris!

One of the most interesting elements to this meal was Caramelized Endive. The most common way I've had endive in the past was just the leaves, raw, stuffed with some mediocre deli salad nestled inside... Before this meal, I never had the pleasure to taste it cooked to perfection... It's quite a treat! Caramelizing endive creates this complexity of sweet and tart flavors combined, as apposed to the dry and bitter characters in its raw form.

I decided to try and emulate Julia's version of a Parisian Breakfast for my friends this weekend. I did decide to use just a little cheese and thin slices of prosciutto to keep things authentic, but you could easily make this meal vegan by leaving those two elements out.

And my version...

Roasted Tomatoes

Arugula, Lemon and Radish Salad (with Prosciutto)

Burratta with Honey and Almonds

Roasted Multi Colored Potatoes

Roasted Kale

Caramelized Endive with Shallots

In addition, I served watermelon chunks, avocado mash, and French baguette slices.

It was a really nice treat to cook for my friends that were visiting me, especially since I don't get to entertain as much as I used to in my new city. I always get extra inspired to do something special when I'm cooking for a crowd... So who's coming to visit me next?!

Roasted Tomatoes

vine ripened tomatoes, sliced in half

salt and pepper

basil infused olive oil (optional)

Preheat oven to 450. On a cooking sheet, place tomato halves face side up.

Season and roast for 25 - 30 min.

Roasted Multicolored Potatoes

1/2 pound baby multicolored potatoes

1/4 cup veggie stock or 2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp herb de provence

1 tbsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of turmeric

Preheat oven to 450. In a pyrex dish, combine all ingredients together and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, mixing around potatoes every 10 minutes or so.

Roasted Kale

1 bunch purple kale, ripped with hands

white wine vinegar

1 tbsp oil (optional)

kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450. Toss together kale, vinegar, salt and optional oil. Lay out flat on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, and bake for 7-10 minutes.

Caramelized Endive

1 heads endive, sliced in half vertically

3 tbsp shallot, minced

veggie stock (for deglazing)

pinch of cumin

salt and pepper

Dry saute shallots in a pan, adding small splashes of veggie stock as needed. Season endive and place into pan face down. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium/low heat. Flip and cook for an additional 10 minutes with cover on. Optional: add 1 tsp of good butter, or vegan butter.